Bleach: The Organization
by goXve
Summary: Kurosaki Ichigo is an assassin and his work is to eliminate another assassin by the name Kuchiki Rukia. What he does not know is that from the moment he lay his eyes on her, his life is about to change forever ...
1. The Sniper Shooter

He stood on the roof with his sniper on standby, waiting for _her_ to pass. He had his orders to pursue and if he did not complete them, he knew too well what would happen to him and his so-called "job".

What was the right word for what he did, anyway? Was there someone who could call what he did for a job? Could he really call this he did for a job, when his "job" usually was to eliminate people who were considered a threat to the Organization he was working for? Well, he did get paid for the trouble, so yes, this was his job in life, and had been for many years now.

This he had done so many times before and he knew exactly what was to come within a few minutes. She would pass by beneath him alone or with her friend, Orihime Inoue. He knew exactly how that Orihime looked like and what kind of person she was. Always happy, wanted to help if she could and had a strange feeling for food. He had often seen them eat together out on a restaurant, and the sights that met him were not anything that appealed to him, rather gave him puke feelings.

About Orihime's friend, his target for today, he did not know much. In her folder was not much, except that she was very dangerous and must be killed immediately. She was dangerous for the entire Organization and could plunge them into perdition if she continued to live, was what was stood in her folder.

The first time he read her folder he had been very surprised at how few facts that actually stood in it. If she was as bad as they said, should not it mean that you had a lot of facts about her everyday chores? On all other of his targets it had been much more facts about them than what was in her folder.

When he tried to obtain more information, he had only been met with silence. No one wanted to say something about this mysterious woman who was such a great risk to their Organization. _Why,_ he wondered many times? If she was such a great risk/danger, why could he not find out the _cause_ of this mysterious woman? It had never been a problem before, so why now?

_Why her?_

His thoughts were interrupted by a sound from his radio that was next to him. "Yes, over?" He said into the radio's speakers.

"Target in sight", a voice was heard saying. "Are you ready, Strawberry? Over."

"Give me a second only, over and out", he replied, and then shut off the radio to avoid being disturbed when the time would come.

Was it something he did not like when he was on a mission it was to be disturbed in any way. Many times he had been close to miss a target because of the damn radio. If he was forced to do so; he used it with a sense of disgust.

Quickly, not to waste time, he took up a black support for the sniper and sat down on the edge of the roof. He did this to make it easier to keep up the sniper, but that it would be too heavy in his hands. Was it something he had learned during these years of service, it was becoming as easy as possible.

After he had been putting down the sniper he lay down on his stomach. He putted his left hand against the bottom of the sniper and his right hand on the trigger. By the sniper rifle scope, he could look down on all the people who were below him, completely unaware of his presence. If he wanted, he could shoot them one by one without that they would understand what had hit them.

What was lucky for them was that today he had a different target to deal with.

Now he could see her. She was alone, which puzzled him. It was not often that she went alone. What had got her out of it? Had something happened that made her more vigilant right now? Could it be that she knew of his position, as he sat with the sniper in preparation there on the roof? Did she know about their plans, and in such cases, how?

He had no time to think about it now; he had a job to do. The questions had to wait until later.

In order not to lose her in sight, he changed his position so that the telescopic sight was always against her head. When she was not surrounded by a wall of people, he would strike, he knew that. He could feel the excitement that always appeared in his body as fast as he could hold a weapon in his hands which was aimed against the very person whom he entrusted to eliminate. It was like a shock through him, and always led him to focus and see one thing:

He himself, the weapon he held in his hand and his targets every move in an attempt to escape.

It was not long until the opening he waited for, came. He pressed his finger on the trigger and was just about to shoot when she turned around and looked straight up at him. Her eyes were dark blue, almost purple, and her face radiated such severity that he lost his breath. All he could see in those dark eyes was a courage that he had never before seen at a target before. She was accustomed to these situations, and she was not afraid to face death.

_She__knew__about__this,__she__has__known__of__my__presence__all__the__time__I__have__stand__here__and__wait__for__her!_ The thought came like a punch in the stomach and made him feel sick. He felt how his finger on the trigger released its grip. He could not do it, he could not shoot her!

It was as if she just by looking at him made him lose all his power so that he could not even press down his finger along the trigger. It felt like the sniper in his hands weighed tons, and he really had to make an effort to manage to hold the gun firmly in his hands.

What should he do now? He had to finish this mission in one way or another; otherwise it was he who would get a bullet through the head instead of the woman beneath him!

A gunshot was heard and the people who stood around her broke up. Before her stood his partner with the gun height against her forehead. His partner - whose mission was to care of her in case he missed - stood there and just waited for that she would pull her gun. That way he could blame on self-defense if the police would catch him, not as often happened, but if it against all odds did, it was good to have a backup plan in your head.

Strangely enough, at least in his eyes, she made absolutely no attempt to either pull up her gun, trying to protect herself or flee. She just ... stood there and waited for death, which just were a few feet in front of her.

Without that he understood what he did - it was as if an invisible force pulled his hands that held the sniper to where they wanted it to go - he turned his rifle scope to his partner and shot him. Just like that. He did not even have time to reflect on whether it was right or wrong what he did, it was as if his finger had his own will when it pressed the trigger.

As in slow motion, he could see the bullet get closer and closer to his partner. He knew that at any time it would hit its target, which in this case was his partner's head. He'd aim for the forehead, but he was not sure whether good he had aimed, as he had pressed so fast.

A thought that he could not stop, took shape in his head. I never miss...

Before the bullet hit him he could see how his partner's head turned up towards him as if he had heard the shot coming towards him. Their eyes met for one last time and he could not see anything other than surprise in his partner's face.

As soon as he saw and heard the sound of his partner's dead body fall to the ground, he pulled the sniper over his shoulder and padded back the support in the backpack he had on his back. Without the slightest hesitation, he ran down all the stairs, he just half an hour earlier had gone up for. His head was empty; the only thing he could think of was that he as soon as possible had to get down to her before she disappeared.

Before the rest of the team came to finish the job he could not finish on his own:

Kill Kuchiki Rukia.


	2. Farewell

When he came down the street, it was total chaos. Those who stood nearest to Rukia ran around like dizzy chickens and tried to protect themselves against the attacker who had shot the man that lay with a bullet in the head in front of the young woman.

Before she would have had a chance to run away and thus get away, he grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear:

"Unless you want to stay here and wait to be killed, I would recommend you to come with me quietly. That is of course your choice whether you want to continue to live or not, Kuchiki Rukia."

At first she stiffened for a second when she heard him call her by her real name, but she nodded to him that she understood and quickly he pulled her away from the panic-stricken heap of people. Nobody seemed to notice them as they walked away from the crime scene, he with a firm grip around her arm. Either everyone was so panicked that they did not see it as something strange, or so they simply thought that they were a couple who, like themselves, just wanted to get away from the chaos.

Lucky for him was that nobody seemed to suspect that he might be the one who had shot, given that he went around with a sniper strapped to his back. All the people who ran around them were probably too shocked to notice the details, which were only positive for him.

When they were out of sight, he let go of her arm and pointed down the street on a black car that was parked in an alley. "Wait in the car, I'll be right back. I have to make sure the coast is clear before we leave."

Without waiting for an answer, he turned around and walked back the way they had come. He trusted that she would stay in the car and do not follow him, but if there was anything he needed to worry about at least for now, it was whether she would listen to him or not, then he must see if he had left any evidence that at one time could tie him to the crime scene.

For every step he took he became more and more vigilant, listening for sounds, which at any time, which would admonish him if anyone, was following and was heading towards him. Strangely enough, he could not hear any other sounds other than from people who departed.

As he approached the place of the execution of his partner, he was immediately on guard. If the Organization already had gotten there, he must immediately turn back and bring Rukia to a safe place where they could hide out until things calmed down.

He pressed himself against the gable and made himself as invisible as it was now possible, just in case it would now be people left who could see him. If the Organization would get hold of one of all people who have found themselves on the spot when the execution happened, they could just as well remember both him and Rukia, among others. Not because it was such a great chance, but he had many times been around people who remembered the strangest things after they have experienced or witnessed a crime.

This would mean that he was in an even greater danger than just before he shot his partner. He did not think of what could conceivably happen if they got a hold of him. He had both seen and heard what happened to people that the Organization had catch and that did not want to talk. There had not been some beautiful sights.

In order not to lose himself in the negative thoughts that tried to get him in its grip, he looked up and got to his surprise see that the street was empty. Not a single living human being, he could catch a glimpse of even how much he looked. He concluded that all had become so frightened that they had fled head over heels to get away from the body as quickly as possible and possibly as far away as just went.

What he did not know was if someone called the police yet, and if they had, they could not be far away, that was one thing that was certain. This in turn meant he had to hurry if he did not want to get caught.

Luckily, the Organization had not yet been able to reach the scene where his partner's dead body now lay. The blood had already begun to clot and he was filled with sorrow when the realization that he would never wake up, hit him. With tears in his eyes he bent down in front of his dead partner's body and closed his eyes.

"Forgive me, but I had no choice. I cannot kill her, not yet anyway. First I need to find out more about her and why she's so dangerous to us. Rest in peace now and let's hope we meet again soon, my friend." He kissed his partner's forehead tenderly, careful not to touch the blood that trickled out through the hole in his head.

He hated himself because he thought the thought, but the truth was that he did not want to leave no trace behind him if he could avoid it. That was what he had learned all these years in the service of the Organization:

_If possible, leave no trace._

So he stood for a minute, with his head bent over his partner's dead body and one knee bent to the ground. He prayed for his comrade's soul that it would forgive him and understand why he had done as he had done, and that he would find peace wherever he might be.

He did not know if it was his imagination or not, but behind his closed eyelids, he seemed to hear his partner's voice thank him because he was honest with him and that he could now rest in peace, as long as he did what he thought was best for him.

When he stood up, he gave his partner a last look. He wanted to remember that face, with its brown skin, dark brown hair and eyes. He wanted to remember Yasutora Sado, also known as Chad, for what he looked like, not for the things he had done with him. He wanted to remember his partner as he looked like now, so peaceful he was there he lay on the ground in front of him.

He smiled at his partner one last time before he made a salute in honor of his partner, and turned around to go back to Rukia. The problem was just that she already stood in front of him.

And it was not all.

She stood before him with her pistol aimed against his forehead.

She held a black M9 in her hand. It glistened in the sun and he realized he had no chance against her with only his sniper, a model Barrett 50 cal. Strangely enough, he was not afraid, because he could see in her eyes that she was not going to shoot him. Was it something he has learned early it was to interpret people's facial expressions.

"What do you want me, Agent? Are you here to kill me?" Asked Kuchiki Rukia while she watched into his brown eyes with her dark blue.

Her voice was light with a hint of hardness in. He did not have to listen again to realize that there was a threat in her questions. _If__you__try__anything,__I__will__kill__you__without__as__much__as__blinking._

"And if I'm that, Kuchiki Rukia? Are you going to shoot me cold blood, just like that? Without the slightest doubt? I can see it on you that you have not the slightest thought or reason for firing a shot. Not yet, anyway."

To his surprise, a laugh escaped Rukia and she put back her M9 under her pant leg where she had kept it before. He caught a glimpse of a holster before she let her pant leg fall over her leg again.

Much to his chagrin a thought showed up that he did not want to think. Nice legs ... It's rare to see a woman as she wearing pants instead of skirts.

"You're right, Agent." His thoughts were interrupted by her voice and pulled him back to reality. "I have no reason to kill you. Yet, anyway. Just remember this: Even the slightest movement against the sniper, who incidentally is a model Barrett 50 cal., I will not hesitate to put a bullet in you. Do you understand?"

He nodded and relaxed. It was not long before his good ear perceived the sound of screeching tires that were on their way towards them. They had wasted too much time already! He did not know if it was the police or the Organization which was heading towards them, but it did not matter at this time. The important thing was that they now had to move if they wanted to avoid detection.

"Quick, Rukia! In the car, before they see us together!" He dragged Rukia out from the execution site and off toward the car while he listened for the car tires screeching that would tell him how close the Organization was, if it was their car that was now coming towards them.

The probability was quite large.

Luckily for him they seemed to still have a minute left before they should occur. Then he must also add that it would probably take them a few seconds to get everyone out of their cars and set them up. It would probably take one to two minutes before they were ready to search the area, not more than three.

Now he could see the car. Luckily, they had not thought of that he had put his car right here. They must have forgotten about that in the middle of everything else, he thought to himself, and locked up the car. Not that it mattered; it was only good for the both of them. This meant that they would have even a minute ahead to start with.

"Get in, I'll be right back." He lied down under the car and felt along the vehicle's underside.

Unless he was totally mistaken there would be a censor under the car, which enabled the Organization to find his car wherever he was on earth. If that were true, it would not matter where he and Rukia were on earth, the Organization would catch up with them in a flash. They had agents all over the world, so it did not matter where he went if he had not found and destroyed that censor.

"There we have you ..." Quickly, he pulled the sensor out from underneath the car and as soon as he had managed to crawl out from under the car, he stomped on it so it split into a thousand pieces. A crunching of metal was the only sound and he could see the red light that just a few seconds ago had shone, was extinguished. It proved that the censor was destroyed for good.

After that he sat in the driver's seat and started the car. He turned around and was greeted by a pair of dark blue eyes that once again made him breathless. There was something with Rukia that made him completely lose his composure.

"Agent, where are we going?"

He again turned his head towards the road and drove out on it. "I have not the slightest idea where we are headed, Kuchiki Rukia, but one thing I am quite sure. I will not let the Organization get hold of you until I have received the answers I need."

He smiled before he again allowed himself to look at the young woman who sat beside him in the car's passenger seat. She was cute in a girly way and did not seem to be so old, possibly in his own age. She was not very tall - she reached him only to his chest - but enough that you would entertain a certain respect for her.

"Really? And could I ask what it can be for questions, Agent? And could I get to know the name of my kidnapper?" Her voice was calm, as if she asked a perfectly normal question about the weather instead of what he could possibly do with her when they arrived at the place where they could talk privately with each other.

"I want to know why the Organization is so interested in you, Rukia. You want to know my name? Then I will tell you." He turned around and looked Rukia in the eyes before he answered:

"My name is Kurosaki Ichigo and I am working for the Organization Soul Society. My mission is to kill you, Kuchiki Rukia."


	3. Explanations

The highway was busy in the afternoon rush hour. Ichigo swore to himself that he had not thought of this before, for example, before he traveled away from the place where the Organization probably was busy boxing up his dead partner's body in one of their cars.

Ichigo knew they would find his bullet either inside or outside the body and understand that it was he who had shot down and rendered harmless his assistant, his own partner. But he had not had time to remove the bullet from Chad's forehead, it would have taken far too long, and he had not had the time. And although he would have had it, the organization would target their first suspicions on either Rukia or himself, because they could not get any contact with him.

Then the questions would begin to get asked. _Why__had__he__done__it?_ _Was__it__a__conspiracy,__was__he__thinking__of__betraying__the__Organization__after__15__years__of__service__with__them?_ _Or__had__he__been__captured__by__Kuchiki__Rukia__and__she__had__it__look__as__if__he__had__murdered__his__partner,__when__it__was_ she _who_ might _have__fired__the__shot?_

After the coroner had seen on the body, they would all understand that it was he himself, Kurosaki Ichigo, who had fired the fatal shot, and with this new information, they would do all they could to take him as a prisoner and ask him about what had actually happened. After hearing him Ichigo knew very well what would happen. Something that he _really_ did _not_ want to think about right now.

Unfortunately for them, Ichigo had absolutely no plan on being captured and being interrogated by them. Sure, they would try, they really would. The only problem was that he would _also._

Along the way, Ichigo had had some time alone to think about the situation he was in. He was still not sure why he had done as he had. Was it because of the doubt to the mission itself, or was it because he no longer trusted the Organization? Rukia did not seem to be the type of person who could put the Organization at risk. Sure, she could always play with his "little game", as she probably saw it, only to then kill him when he knew enough about her because it could be dangerous for her.

But that he did not think. There was something about Rukia that gave Ichigo a sense of security and truth. When he looked at her at that moment when she had put a gun towards him, was all he could see in her warmness.

Not that cold, hard expression that all assassins like himself had every time they stared their prey in the eye.

"Excuse me for asking", he heard a voice say, and thus interrupted his thoughts.

Rukia looked at him with a compassionate face. "I'm sorry about this with your partner, but I really need to know why you did it?"

Ichigo did not answer directly at Rukia's question. He needed time to think over his reply. Not that he would not answer Rukia's question. He did not even know himself, why he had shot his partner.

Ichigo did not like to lie, and if he could, he avoided it gladly.

"If you want me to be honest with you, I will be that too. To tell the truth I do not know even myself why I did what I did. When I saw your face among all people was the only thing I had in the skull to complete the mission." Ichigo became quiet and pondered how to continue.

Could he really reveal this for Rukia, the person he had in mission to murder, to destroy? If he did, he was in even greater danger than he was before. Now it was the question of life or death.

Yes, he could, he decided. There was something about Rukia who told Ichigo that she was not the ruthless, terrible tyrant who the Organization described her to be. On the contrary, Rukia seemed to be a warm person with a good heart who wanted people well. She had an eye on weapons and could very well work for another organization that he did not know about. Even if that was the case, Ichigo did not believe on the theory that she could be as dangerous as the Organization said she was.

During the silence that occurred Ichigo noticed that Rukia moved her eyes from him and out through the car window. In her face Ichigo for a second could a glimpse of recognition and sadness glimpse past in her dark blue eyes.

"I know how it feels, Kurosaki Ichigo. Many years ago, I also had to shoot a partner. Or, he was actually more than a partner at that time, if you know what I mean by that.

In any case, it happened during a mission that I volunteered myself to because I did not want to risk anyone else's safety than my own, since I had heard stories of other couples who had been victims of terrible situations where nothing was the same again afterwards. I did not want the same thing to happen between me and my partner. Though, as you probably already know from personal experience, Ichigo, people do not always listen to you."

A sad smile took shape on Rukia's lips and a solitary tear took the opportunity to run down her cheek. Ichigo, who had since long stopped at a rest stop (despite the risk that the Organization was right behind them), wiped the tears from Rukia's cheek.

"Yes, I'm afraid that I too well understand what you mean, Kuchiki Rukia ..." Ichigo said, looking sadly at the young, sad woman next to him.

Rukia nodded and looked into his eyes before she continued her story. "He came to me just before I would go off and gave me the good news that _"__Guess__what,__Rukia?_ _I__will__also__join__and__help__you__"_, which became one of his last words ..."

"What happened?" Ichigo laid his hand on Rukia's shoulder and stroked it slowly. Apparently the gesture worked, because Rukia immediately became much calmer and was able to continue to ease her heart to a man who had the task of eliminating her and make sure she never came back.

"We had been asked, or rather _I_ had been instructed, to find out more about a particular person's life habits such as where the person worked, went out on weekends, which staff the person was socialized with, and things like that. I will not mention his/her name or appearance, since this is classified information. It's bad enough that I mention just this small piece for you, Ichigo."

Ichigo nodded. He understood exactly what Rukia meant, since he had handled classified material many times.

"When we got to the place where the person we would look for would be, we got us a real surprise. Before we knew it the car was surrounded by at least ten muscular men in the 30-40 years of age. All wore the same tattoo and clothing, which meant that we immediately became suspicious.

Sure enough, soon the person that we were waiting for came out of the shadows and told us that unless we wanted to be thrown in a ditch somewhere and let the worms eat up that could possibly be left of us, we should cooperate.

The person in question also said that he / she had known of for some time now that we had shadowed him / her. The person knew why and if we wanted to get out of this alive, we would be forced to cooperate and do exactly as he / she said.

To this day I blame only myself over what happened next. My partner, who never surrendered without a fight, opened the car door and began firing wildly as he told me to warn the others and put myself in safety."

New tears rose in Rukia's eyes and she stroked them irritated away. "Before they had time react and take up their guns, my partner had managed to shoot down four or five of the ten men standing around the car. Before they could catch him, he had succeeded in bringing down two more. By then it was only one guard on my side as I quickly managed to shoot down before I warned the other over the radio about the situation we found ourselves in.

It was only then that I discovered that the three men who were still alive - two of them stuck to my partner, and the third man was the one that we have been asked to shadow - had captured my partner. The scene is forever imprinted in my brain. I will never forget his beautiful face that I will never again be able to hold with my hands ..."

A few arms were around her, and before Rukia knew what happened she was in Ichigo's arms with tears running down her cheeks.

"My beloved Renji, I will never again be able to hold him or hear his voice that whispers in my ear how much he likes me ..."

Ichigo wanted to ask Rukia a question about this Renji, because it was something with him that seemed familiar. While he was afraid of hurting Rukia even more if he actually spoke.

He took a chance. "Rukia, I do not want to make you even sadder now or so, but in what way was Renji executed?"

First Rukia did not answer, but just sat there lost in the terrible memories that tore out her heart. "He was shot in the heart. I shot a bullet right through it because I was forced to it. I was captured by the person we were watching and he / she told me that I must execute Renji, the man whom I loved so much. If not, he / she would not just kill me, but my whole family and all those who had ever loved me...

Renji looked up at me as he stood with bent knees and a gun pressed against the back of his head. A smile played on his lips when he said _"__Rukia,__I__want__you__to__do__this__for__me,__for_us_._ _If__you__do__not__shoot__me,__all__of__yours__and__my__family__will__be__affected__as__well._ _Do__not__do__that__against__them,__Rukia._ _They__do__not__deserve__to__be__punished__because__of__my__stupidity._ _I__know__you__do__not__want__to__do__this,__but__you__have__to._ _Do__it__for__me,__it__will__be__a__relief__for__me._ _I__love__you__and__have__always__loved__you,__Rukia,__you__know__that,__right?__"_

I could not do anything but nod as I pulled out my gun that I had in a gun holster around my waist. My hand was shaking like a leaf, but I could not help it. The whole I screamed _no,__I__cannot__do__it!,_ but when I saw Renji's smiling face ... it was as if he touched something deep within me.

So yes, I shot him in the heart with the same gun that I was aiming at with you over there at your partner's dead body. This gun has been through a lot. It even heard when I whispered _"__I__love__you__"_ to Renji before I pulled the trigger ..."

Ichigo felt as if someone had taken away his ability to breathe. It was as he had feared all the time since Rukia mentions her lover Renji's death. It was just one more question he must ask and get an answer to before he could say with certainty that it was true, what he feared.

"Rukia, it's very important that you respond honestly to this question I will ask you, do you understand?"

"Yes, but why ..." began Rukia, but Ichigo interrupted her by putting his hand in front of her face.

"I'll explain later, okay? Trust me, Rukia. Did Renji have red hair and black tattoos that began at his temples, and that went down along with his entire back?"

"Yes, that's Renji! But how can you know ...?" Rukia was again interrupted by Ichigo.

The difference this time was that now it was the words that Ichigo pronounced her to become quite pale as a sheet.

"Did the soldiers who Renji attacked have this tattoo engraved on their forearm?" Ichigo pulled up his sleeve and showed Rukia the tattoo that he had get tattooed the same day he had become one with the Organization, which was placed on his forearm.

The tattoo was in the shape of a quadrangle with a straight line across.

Ichigo did not have to get any response from Rukia, because he could by just looking at her pale face indicate what the answer was.

"Renji is my best friend. Abarai Renji is working with me for the Organization that killed him, Soul Society. Abarai Renji did not die that day when you and he were on an assignment, Rukia.

Abarai Renji rose from the dead."


	4. The Truth

Rukia just could not believe it! Did Renji still live, after all these years? Could it be true? She that had thought she would never again see his smile and feel his strong arms around her again.

"Ichigo, is there any chance that I could meet Renji? I know I ask much of you now, but I would really have to see Renji and get an explanation as to why he has done this to me. No, to _us._"

Ichigo could not see Rukia in the eyes as he was not sure if he could keep a straight face or not. To tell the truth, he knew exactly why Renji had done as he had done, but if he would tell Rukia, he was not sure what she would do. He knew that Rukia had contacts and that she at any time could conceivably use them to get what she wanted.

"I'm sorry, Rukia. I would probably be able to get a meeting between you and Renji, but not for a while yet. It's far too risky to try to contact the Organization now since it has only been a few hours after we got "lost". Perhaps later, when the worst has calmed down."

Rukia nodded to show Ichigo that she had understood. "Is it far to the "safe place" that you talked about before?" She asked, noticing to her surprise that Ichigo relaxed at the new question.

He was relieved that I changed the subject, thought Rukia for herself. He is hiding something from me, that's for sure. But what?

"Not far now, an hour or so. If you wish, you can lay yourself in the back seat and get some sleep before we get there. You look pretty worn out."

As if Rukia's body agreed with Ichigo Rukia felt how she yawned. "You're right, Ichigo. Okay, I'm trying to get some sleep."

Rukia jumped into the back seat and lay down on the soft seat. She felt her eyelids close slowly, and how the sleep slowly came over her. Before she knew it she was sleeping deeply with one thought swirling in her mind:

"_Thank you, Kurosaki Ichigo ..."_

Looking back, Ichigo could see Rukia's sleeping figure as she lay on her side and slept in his back seat. The sight made him smile. Never before had he seen anything prettier than Rukia was now. She was so beautiful where she lay with closed eyes and completely relaxed throughout the body. As if nothing in the world could harm her.

As if she was ... invincible.

The sight made him feel respect for the woman who was behind him. She looked certainly not like much, but he knew that deep inside Rukia, there was a fire just waiting to be lit and explode.

What Ichigo did not know, was _when_ it might ignite and explode.

He concentrated once again on the road and swung of the main road to get away from the main road where he knew there was a great chance that the Organization would look for them there first.

When it was just a few minutes left, he found himself thinking back on those days when he found out why Renji had joined the Organization.

"Hey Ichigo, what's up?" Renji appeared beside him and smiled his usual grin. It got his tattoos to move, something that always scared Ichigo somehow. He could not explain the feeling; it just was there for some reason.

"Oh yes, everything rolls on as usual. What then, would something have happened, do you mean?" Ichigo boxed his elbow into Renji's side, but not so hard that he hurt him.

The question made Renji smile even bigger than before. "Surely, you can write that up! I just came from the Boss's office and guess what he told me?"

Ichigo shook his head and waited for that Renji would tell him what the Boss had said. When Renji did not said anything he asked "What did he say to you?"

"Finally, I am one of you! He said I passed the tests gallant and that there was no question that I would join you." Renji laughed with joy and Ichigo gave him a pat on the back and laughed along with his best friend.

He was really happy for Renji's sake, he was. They had had a special connection ever since the first time they met each other. Ichigo had felt that Renji was something special when he first looked at when he made his first trial, which were Ichigo favorite:

The shooting test.

Ichigo had always been good at shooting, and it was fun to see that someone else also shared his interest. Ichigo was in fact the second best, their Boss was obviously number one. Renji had managed to come in third place, something that made Ichigo happy. Now he would need to spend more time in the shooting room and train even harder so that Renji could not beat his record, and thus take away his place as second best.

"Congratulations Renji, not because I doubted for a second on you or anything, but still! Congratulations buddy!" Ichigo laughed again, happy for his friend.

"Thank you, Ichigo. If I am to be honest, I did not think I could do it this quickly, or get as good results as I actually got!" The happiness literally shone from Renji's face as he walked beside Ichigo in the hallway on the way to the park that lay outside the Organization's headquarters.

They sat down on a bench which stood under a large oak. It was a hot day and the shade that the oak gave them where they sat cooled nicely to their warm skin. Ichigo closed his eyes and let a sigh escape his lips as he felt how he was relaxed throughout the body.

"Welcome to the club, Abarai Renji", he said with a smile. "Now you're really one of us. At last!"

"Yes, I most certainly am", he got to reply.

Silence settled over them like a blanket, but it was a wonderful silence. Both of them listened to the chirping of the birds at the edge of the trees and the sound of the wind that shook the old oak tree behind their backs.

"Why did you come here, Renji?"

Renji winced at the question since he was not prepared for it to come. He did not answer it at first and it went so far as Ichigo thought Renji would not answer him at all. But to his surprise he heard Renji's voice say:

"Because of a woman."

Ichigo opened his eyes and turned to Renji and looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"Just what I say. I am here because of a woman." Renji sighed and shook his head. "Kuchiki Rukia was, _is,_ an amazing woman and agent. We were a couple for many years and had a good time together. We almost never fought and we had a good sex life." Renji grinned a little embarrassing to Ichigo who just nodded.

"Then came the day I started to gravitate towards more dangerous things. I noticed that I loved risking my life, to feel the adrenaline pumping around in my bloodstream. To hear the icy death screams of the victims that we shot down...

I'm not crazy, Ichigo. I'm just like everyone else here. A bloodthirsty, cold-blooded murderer." Renji cold laughed and looked at Ichigo with a smirk on his face that made him look just as crazy as he recently stated that he wasn't.

"I knew there were a danger to Rukia and the other agents that I worked with and as evenly and constantly found themselves around me. So, I started looking around for a place that I could turn to. That's when I heard about the Organization, and it seemed perfect! There was only one thing I needed to do:

Liberate me and the woman I loved most of all. I could never forgive myself if I hurt Rukia in some way. She still means a lot to me, Ichigo, although I know we will never again be able to meet."

"Does she know you're here?" Ichigo thought he knew the answer already, but he wanted to hear it from Renji himself instead of having to guess the answers.

Indeed, Renji shook his head. "No, she would just have followed me here and I would not have solved anything."

Ichigo nodded. "I understand you, Renji. You love this woman so much that you would rather disappear without a trace from her life and leave her in eternal wonder about what really happened to you."

Now Renji got a slightly hurt expression in his face. "Not really. She thinks I'm dead. I staged my own death and it was she who "killed" me."

"What?" Ichigo stared shocked at his friend. What did he mean by all this? What had he just said?

So Renji explained everything to him, just as Rukia had been telling Ichigo in the car on the way to the safe place that only he knew where they would be safe from the Organization's grip.

Renji described how a man who worked for the Organization had dressed up as a suspect and walked around with bodyguards as he and Rukia had "eliminated" that day when it was the point that they would have "shadowed" him.

The truth was such that all had bulletproof vests on, and even Renji himself, so that nobody would be harmed during the operation.

"I asked her to put an end to me, for my sake, because our whole family would suffer for it, but above all for her own sake. She devoured everything I told her and believed blindly at it. She shot me in the heart with her M9, which she always carried with her wherever she went.

Immediately afterwards the guards who were not "killed" brought her away from me because she would not get a chance to see that it did not oozed out any blood from the wound caused by her bullet in my chest. It would have made her suspicious if she had seen it, and if it was something we could not afford it was precisely problems."

Ichigo listened attentively to Renji's story and could not do anything but shake his head at what he had just been told. It did not make any sense!

"What happened to Rukia after they took her away, Renji? Did they decide to kill her?" It received Ichigo to ask the question, but he felt he had to have an answer. He felt really sorry for Rukia and all the pain she must feel, knowing that she had killed the man she loved most of all.

"No, I had to follow at a distance in a car and see what they did to her. They left her at the house that we shared together in all the years we were together. Seeing Rukia with tears running down her cheeks and with broken heart is something I will never forget, Ichigo. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, cold sweat and see just that moment. It was the hardest thing I ever have been necessary to do. It was close that I threw myself out of the car and hugged Rukia and told her that everything was just a mistake, that I made a mistake which had considered leaving her." Renji shook his head and looked up at the clouds piled up above their heads.

"Renji, if you loved Rukia so much, and perhaps still do, why did you leave her? Why did you not take her back and tried to make it work? You never know unless you try, right?"

"Because I know that if I had convinced the Boss that Rukia is a good assassin, maybe even better than me, she would have said no. She got on too well with her colleagues, where we both worked. She could never imagine starting over with a different organization. Especially not this, it is too violent for her taste. No, it's better if she stays where she is now."

Ichigo shook his head again. "I've never had this problem myself, so I cannot say that I understand how you think, Renji. One thing I know for sure, and that is that love is never easy."

"It was the best what happened, Ichigo. Both for me and for her. Now she has at least has a grave that she can go to and mourn for me instead of having to walk around in the dark and think about what actually happened to me." Renji smiled at Ichigo with a sadness in his eyes that was so visible, and that Ichigo had never before seen in Renji.

Ichigo then realized something. He could read it in Renji's sad eyes. He still missed the woman who had meant so much to him for so many years. He had not gotten over the grief that he could never again be allowed to touch her or feel her smell in his nostrils.

He was still missing Kuchiki Rukia, the woman who had been his partner and companion for as long as he had been an agent with her and former colleagues in the place he worked at before he decided to join the Organization.

Renji had chosen the gun in front of love.


	5. Approaches

**Warning:** This chapter contains _**sex,**_ cannot read about those things, do not read this chapter, please. You have been warned.

The house stood well in the woods and was not visible from the road. In order to even be able to see the house you have to go into a special forest path that were not visible from the highway, because you first have to turn onto a dirt road in order to discern the narrow path that ran to the house. All around there were only trees and paths that lead around the house in a loop in which he often used to run to keep fit.

The house itself was painted in a red color with white windows. A patio spread to the left from the front door and into the gable. On the patio, it was a table with two chairs and a parasol that stood next to the chairs as a protection against the hot sun. To the right of the house stood a small house, which served as a garage and shop where all sorts of things were that might be needed to keep the house in order.

Ichigo parked the car in the garage and opened the driver's door. He walked around the car and took Rukia from the back seat. Before he took her into the house he putted a blanket over her sleeping form to keep her warm, since he had not had time to warm up the house yet. He had always known prior to when he would come here, and he could warm up the house a few days before.

But that was not the case this time.

Carefully, not to wake her up, Ichigo walked out of the garage and stayed one second in front of the house where he drew air into his lungs to calm the panic that slowly turned its sharp claws around him. Somehow, he did not know why or where it came from; he had a moment with a feeling that told him that he must be careful. Something lurked on him, but he did not know where this thing was or what it wanted him.

A memory washed over him with such force that he nearly dropped the sleeping Rukia that he still held in his arms. _The__feeling__was__the__same__as__that__day!_ Tears rose in his eyes and dripped down on Rukia's cheeks. This prompted Rukia to move in his arms and open her eyes. She looked right up at him with an expression that was a mixture of curiosity and amazement.

"Ichigo, why are you crying?" Rukia stroked his cheek with a slow moment and it got Ichigo to wake up out of his fog of memories. He looked at Rukia and what she saw in them made her gasp and put her hand over her mouth.

In Ichigo's eyes was such a deep sadness that Rukia could not see any end to it.

Something in Ichigo's past had shaken him well and made him become the person he was today. But what had happened to him that was so terrible that he received such scars now afterwards?

Ichigo shook his head and new tears flowed down his cheeks. "I remember ..." was his only reply and so did Rukia even more curious about what had happened to Ichigo while she was embarrassed a bit more over what she was thinking.

"What? Something painful from your past?" Rukia stroked away Ichigo's tears as she looked into his eyes. "You know you can talk to me if you need someone to ease your heart, Kurosaki Ichigo."

To hear Rukia say his name with such warmth ... Ichigo had to smile amid all the horror that engulfed him. Never before had a woman, except his mother, then, managed to get him to smile like this. He was filled with a feeling he had not felt in a long time and that he never believed that a woman would make him feel:

Love.

Yes, he could feel love fill his body and without knowing how it happened, he'd put his arms tighter around Rukia and hugged her hard. To his surprise he felt Rukia hug him back. Why she did that he did not know, but he could always guess the answer.

"Rukia thanks ..." whispered Ichigo and cried into her hair while Rukia stroked his hair in slow, cautious movements. He became calmer while Rukia stroked his hair, as his mother had done the same to him when he was small.

Rukia smiled at Ichigo's hair and placed a kiss on his forehead, without thinking about what she did. It just felt ... right, to do so. She did not know why, but the gesture seemed to get Ichigo to stop crying and look up at her with wet eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Said Rukia and smiled a friendly smile at Ichigo.

"I ..." began Ichigo but interrupted himself. "It's hard to talk about, it happened for so many years ago ..."

"Take your time, Ichigo. I'm not rushing."

Ichigo nodded and took a deep breath. "When I was eight years old my mother was assaulted and murdered. I was there and saw everything. The man who attacked my mother was at first supposed to take me hostage to get my mother to listen to what he had to say, but my mother was faster than he first thought. Before he had time to react my mother putted her arms around me in a last embrace before the man pulled a knife and thrust it into my mother's back. She died instantly when the blade punctured her heart. My mother died when she was protecting her child, and for what?"

Rukia looked with sad eyes on Ichigo and knew how he must have felt the immediate future after his mother's death. She herself had also been forced to see the person she loved most die. "Ichigo, I understand your feelings. I'm also pretty sure that your mother died happy, because she knew that you would survive because she sacrificed herself to protect you. What a mother she would have been if she had not done everything for her child?"

Rukia stroked away the last of Ichigo's tears and gave him a fierce hug. She could feel how Ichigo hugged her back and how he became calmer by her words. "I know that what you say is true. I miss her a lot, but it is easier to deal with the pain now that I know how she thought that day 22 years ago."

"So it shall sound", said Rukia and smiled.

Slowly Ichigo putted Rukia down to the ground and looked into her eyes. There was something in them that made him lose the power of speech altogether. No words could describe what he felt when they held each other. However, he was relieved when he saw Rukia feel exactly how he felt.

She feels the same to me also ... flashed through his head.

They stood looking at each other during the seconds that felt like hours before one of them dared to break the mood that was in the air between them.

"Ichigo, I ..." Rukia hesitated and to both their surprise, Rukia blushed.

"It suits you ..." Ichigo smiled and stroked Rukia's cheek where she blushed the most. "You're cute; do you know that, Rukia?"

Now it was Rukia's turn to smile. She nodded and said, "I've heard it a few times."

"Good, then you know that it's true, too."

More was not needed to be said. Rukia leaned her head back until she could see right into Ichigo's brown eyes. She could see how they approached and she let it happen. She could feel a pair of warm lips press against her own and how she leaned back until she bumped into the wall.

She putted her arms around the lips owner's shoulders and pressed his body closer to her. Her tongue found Ichigo's and a small moan escaped her.

This is so wrong ... flashed through her mind. Yet I cannot stop, it feels so right to kiss Ichigo this way.

Their bodies were pressed against each other and the kisses deepened increasingly. Ichigo lifted up Rukia and putted her legs around his waist to get closer to her warm body. He did not get enough of their kisses; it was so wonderful to feel Rukia's tongue against his own. Feeling how her body wanted more, how it yearned for his strokes.

"Rukia, I want you ..." he mumbled between the kisses.

As if Rukia also had known what he would say, she putted Ichigo's hands on her breasts and Ichigo was not slow to grasp what she meant. Slowly, he cupped his hands around her dainty breasts and enjoyed the feeling of how the nipples stiffened by his touch.

"You are so beautiful ..." Ichigo pulled Rukia's shirt off with one hand while he loosened Rukia's bra with the other.

The kisses interrupted and Ichigo got a chance to look down on her breasts with the stiff nipples that lay before him. They were small, round with pink nipples just waiting to be moved. He bowed his head and took the left nipple in his mouth. He started sucking it slowly and got a gasp that quickly followed by a groan from Rukia.

"Yes ... Oh, yes! More, I want more!" Rukia groaned out the words and pressed herself harder against Ichigo.

With a firm grip around Rukia's back Ichigo putted his other hand on the zipper that separated him from Rukia's innermost. Soon, even the pants were opened and Ichigo knew that Rukia was already very wet. Quickly he thrust two fingers into the flesh between Rukia's legs and bent them up.

The moan who escaped Rukia's mouth was not human. It sounded more like an animal, and it made Ichigo to become even more excited than he was before. Never before had he experienced something like this before. Sure, he had been with many other women before, but no one had made him feel like this right now that Rukia got him to do.

He pushed his fingers deeper into Rukia and got one more animal-like groan in response. "Yes, Ichigo, more!"

"Maybe we should ..." He nodded towards the front door and Rukia was not slow to nod.

Without letting go of Rukia Ichigo pulled out his fingers from Rukia (who escaped a disappointed sigh) and putted both hands around Rukia's back. He opened the front door and turned on the heat so that the house would have time to be slightly heated.

Not that it would be necessary...

Rukia could not more than see how the front door slammed shut before Ichigo's lips again met hers. She closed her eyes and felt how Ichigo went through the house until he finally stopped and laid her down on something soft. His lips left her and she slowly opened her eyes.

She lay on a bed with white duvets and sheets. A large window was next to the bed, but otherwise the room was very empty. The only thing that was in the room except the bed was a brown wardrobe that she suspected that there were clothes in.

In the corner of her eye she saw Ichigo walk over to the window and began pulling down the blinds. She smiled and undressed as quietly as it was now possible. When Ichigo was finished with the blinds, he turned around and saw a naked Rukia look back at him. He smiled back and undressed before he bent down over Rukia as she lay on his bed. She was too beautiful for her own good, so simple it was.

"You are even more beautiful like this ..." Ichigo stroked Rukia's lips with his finger.

"Same goes to you, Ichigo. ... I like how you look", said Rukia and blushed. Hopefully Ichigo did not see that in the darkness that surrounded them.

Ichigo smiled teasingly and laid one hand on Rukia's breast while his other hands fingers found their way along Rukia's stomach and legs. When he found right he began to stroke the little knob which gave Rukia such pleasure.

Rukia bowed her head as waves of pleasure washed over her every time Ichigo's fingers made a new circular motion over her clitoris. As excited as she now was, she had never felt before, not even with Renji.

What was so special about Ichigo? Why did she feel this towards the man who had received orders to kill her and _why__did__she__wanted__him__more__than__she__had__ever__wanted__any__other__man?_

She did not know the answers to those questions, and she could not think about them now when she was offered such a pleasure that Ichigo gave her.

"Ichigo ... more!" Rukia almost screamed with pleasure now, and as far as she knew it Ichigo enjoyed _at__least_ as much of this as she did.

Soon she felt two fingers penetrate her, and how they moved in and out of her wet vagina. God, Ichigo really knew her things.

Rukia began to move back and forth with Ichigo's fingers. Never before had she felt something like this, and she wanted Ichigo to also feel the same. She grabbed Ichigo's chest and began to stroke his chest as he had done to her. She searched his lips and Ichigo let her enter.

Groans from the two youths were mixed with each other and became as one voice.

Rukia smiled between the kisses and walked down until she could feel how Ichigo's hard erection met her hand. "Now I'll take you on a ride you'll never forget ..." she whispered in Ichigo's ear.

Slowly she began to stroke Ichigo's hard gender and enjoyed it when she felt how it became harder while she stroked it and how Ichigo groaned loud.

She loved being in control, even in bed.

Snoring that kept her awake. She lay awake with a pounding gender and a sore body. The sex had been ... perfect, wonderful? There were no words that could describe what she felt with Kurosaki Ichigo.

She had never felt like this to another man. She still mourned Renji and missed him so it ached in her heart. When she found out that he was still alive and was doing fine something had ignited within her. A light which had gone out after what had happened between her and Ichigo.

She would never again be able to go back to Renji after she learned that he had just left her as he had done. All she wanted was to get an answer to _why_ he had made the decision to leave her. Did he not love her anymore, or was there something else that had worried him?

"Oh, Renji, why did you do what you did?" Rukia felt the tears running down her cheeks as she stood outside on the patio where she had went, while the thoughts whirling round and round in her head.

"Because he loves you."

Ichigo putted his arms around Rukia after adding a blanket around her frozen shoulders. Rukia turned around and putted her face in Ichigo's warm chest and let him embrace her.

She had decided: Whatever happened between her and Ichigo in the future, she would get an answer to why Renji so abruptly had left her.


	6. The Phone Call

**Warning:** This chapter contains _**sex,**_ cannot read about things, do not read this chapter, please. You have been warned.

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

A smile played on Ichigo's lips when he saw Rukia get into the kitchen where he sat reading the newspaper. Outside the sun shone from a clear sky and the birds twittered in the trees that surrounded the house. It looked to be a glorious day, but Rukia did not notice any of this when she went into the kitchen and sat down across from Ichigo at the kitchen table.

She had a worried wrinkle in her forehead and she seemed lost in thoughts. Ichigo putted his hand over Rukia's where it lay on the kitchen table. This prompted Rukia to look up and smile a sad smile. Ichigo wanted to ask what was wrong, but during these months that Rukia had lived with him in this very house, he had learned that it was best to wait and let Rukia speak herself without that he pushed her.

"Good morning, Ichigo", Rukia said at last, and then looked out through the window.

"How are you? You look tired." Ichigo pressed Rukia's hand and looked at her with worried eyes.

She just shook her head and sighed deeply. "I'm nervous while I'm both excited and scared, Ichigo. Today is the day I waited for so long. Today I finally have an answer for why Renji left me as abruptly as he did." A smile could now be seen on Rukia's lips after she developed the words.

But it was not a happy smile.

Ichigo got up and left Rukia alone with her thoughts. He went out to the garage and sat in the car in which he took out his cell phone. Two minutes left, and then he would call the phone call that would change his whole future and Rukia's. Ichigo was afraid he would lose Rukia to the man who was his best friend.

_That__had__been__his__best__friend,_ anyway.

It could be a trap, Ichigo knew it too well. Chances were that Renji had betrayed them and would leave both of them out. Rukia knew it too, but she said she was willing to take that risk.

"Then I can at least die with the truth, Ichigo. I've waited so long for this. As it is well within reach, I will not let it get away", Rukia had said when he passed through the plan with her.

What scared Ichigo most was not to die, but how Rukia would react when she saw Renji. Would she throw herself into his arms and say that she wanted him back, that they would try again? The chance was there, even if Rukia had made it clear that she did not want Renji back. It would hurt him most, because he understood if Rukia did not want to be together with him like _that._

In the months that had passed his feelings for Rukia had only grown stronger. She was smart, strong, beautiful, unselfish and helpful. Then she also had a page that she putted aside when it was not needed:

_The instinct._

That was what she called her assassin side. It was the _instinct_ that appeared when danger threatened. She stretched her muscles; she sharpened her senses and let her body go away. She became one with her feelings, and when this happened Rukia was changed.

She became the ice-cold killer, which everyone at the Organization feared.

Ichigo however loved Rukia for the coldness she used when the _instinct_ appeared. She was then the Rukia as she was born to be. Then she turned to the woman he had learned to love.

His thoughts were interrupted by his cell phone alarm that reminds him about the phone call he'd call. Quickly, he typed in a phone number and waited for someone to answer at the other end.

"Strawberry contacts Pineapple, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here. What reads the instructions?" Said a voice at the other end.

"We continue as planned. Meet us at the venue in an hour. Over and out."

"Roger, out", replied the voice, and then put down the receiver.

A knock on his shoulder got Ichigo to pull his gun from the holster that lay around his waist. Behind him was Rukia on the passenger seat and looked at him with eyes that did not show the slightest fear. She knew that Ichigo could not have killed her then and there, but she was not afraid to die.

"So it is decided?" She said, and laid down Ichigo's gun on the passenger seat next to Ichigo.

Ichigo nodded. "Yes, we will meet Renji about one hour at the place we decided."

Rukia smiled and gave Ichigo a kiss that put his whole body on fire.

During the time he got to know Rukia it was one thing that always surprised Ichigo: how Rukia managed to make him feel like a teenager whose first real night with a girl were to occur, every time they had sex. It was as if she was the experienced one by those two, although he had had significantly more girls than Rukia had had boys. Plus, he was three years older than her.

Without knowing how it happened he was in the backseat with Rukia sitting in his lap. His back was leaning against the car seat and he could feel Rukia's pounding gender against his own.

"What is meant by this, Rukia?" He asked his lover with a grin.

"That, you will see ..." was Rukia's evasive answer, which meant that Ichigo had better be quiet and enjoy the treatment, which he knew would come.

It was not long in coming. Rukia's lips pressed against his and her hands stroked over his bare chest, which become visible after she got of Ichigo his shirt. A groan escaped Ichigo and he laid his hands on Rukia's small breasts. He cupped them against each other, something that made Rukia to moan of pleasure.

Soon felt Ichigo how Rukia pressed her wet gender against his in a rocking motion. He immediately became harder and moaned loudly. Quickly he pulled off Rukia her shirt and let his hands find their way up her back until he found her bra straps. He unbuttoned Rukia's bra so he could more easily get at her stiff nipples with his tongue. While he let his tongue play over Rukia's nipples, he stroked them with his hands, causing Rukia to groan aloud with delight.

"Ichigo, I want to feel your cock inside me now ..." Rukia pushed her body hard against Ichigo.

"You do not have to ask me twice ..." was Ichigo's reply. Quickly he buttoned up his pants and then helped Rukia with her own.

"Here I come ..." Rukia had her pussy slowly hauling itself down along with Ichigo's hard cock. Soon it was completely engrossed in her walls of flesh just waiting to get to feel Ichigo's movements.

"Oh, Rukia ..." Ichigo groaned deeply as he could feel Rukia meet him.

It was as if a silent signal had told them that they could start, which rang through their ears. They began to move simultaneously in a slow rhythm that resembled more a dance than a sex act.

The truth was that they both knew that this was perhaps their last act of love together, and would therefore take it slowly and carefully. They wanted to feel each other's bodies as much as it is now just went before they may have to be separated from each other. Henceforth, the slow rhythm. Not that any of them did not like it, quite the opposite.

Rukia pressed hard down on every push, without destroying the rhythm. She knew that Ichigo liked it slow and hard. She had had more than six months in which to learn what works for them and not, and these months have been amazing.

Never before had Rukia felt so happy and so satisfied that she made during the period she received along with Kurosaki Ichigo. He had made her feel important, loved and believed. He had made her feel like a real person, not as the assassin as she had become known as.

"I love you, Kurosaki Ichigo", Rukia heard herself say, between one of their many groans of pleasure.

A smile that Rukia could not interpret anything but happiness could be seen in Ichigo's eyes at those five words. That made Rukia's heart swell with happiness that she only by a few words could get Ichigo to feel like one of the happiest men on earth.

"I love you too, Kuchiki Rukia."

Their lips met in a passionate kiss, and soon the tempo rose when none of the two lovers could hold back their lust anymore. They began to move faster towards each other's genders, while waves of pleasure filled them. Groan after groan escaped their lips to each new push.

"Ichigo, I want you to take me from behind ..." Rukia whispered between one of their tongue kisses.

A grin appeared on Ichigo's lips. He stopped moving his hips and kissed Rukia with a playful smile. "As you wish ..."

Quickly Rukia took position in front of Ichigo. She turned her head and laid a finger on her closed lips, while she looked innocently at Ichigo. As if she wanted to say that she was a good girl who just obeyed her master's orders.

Ichigo laughed at Rukia's "face game" and lay down on top of her. Soon Rukia felt how Ichigo's hard gender pressed itself into her with such force that she could not do anything but shout out to all the pleasure coursing through her body. It just got better when Ichigo pushed himself deep into her inner recesses. It was as if she never ended. For each new thrust it seemed as if Ichigo just got deeper and deeper into her. The feeling was too wonderful to be described in words.

"Yes, Ichigo!" Yelled Rukia. "Give me more!"

"Yes, milady." Ichigo pressed himself harder against Rukia while he leaned closer to her ear and started licking her ear slowly.

With his left hand Ichigo held Rukia in the hip while he let his right hand fingers slowly find their way down Rukia's thigh. He could feel how Rukia shuddered beneath him in pleasure. Soon his fingers found their target. Slowly he let them circulate around Rukia's clitoris to increase her arousal more. He knew that Rukia liked when he played with her in this way.

Keeping her on the line and always let her orgasm take a long time.

"Mm ..." could be heard from Rukia and Ichigo could see how she licked her lips slowly. "Good Ichigo, you know how to make me feel good ..."

"All for my baby", whispered Ichigo to Rukia's ear, biting gently in it.

So it continued for a while:

Ichigo continued to move fast and hard inside Rukia while he caressed her clitoris with his fingers and her ear with his tongue.

"Yes, Ichigo! I'm almost there!" Rukia pressed everything she could back to Ichigo's body and gender that went in and out of her.

This got Ichigo to move more quickly towards Rukia as well, and he stroked her clit faster and faster. The orgasm was formed rapidly in both of them and it was not long until Ichigo and Rukia could be heard shouting out each other's names aloud when the two came together in a wave of pleasure that never seemed to disappear.

Ichigo had to make an effort to not put all his weight on Rukia as she stood on her knees beneath him. She was breathing just as heavily as him and Ichigo could see that she had trouble staying upright.

"Ichigo, could you remove yourself from me now? I think I need a shower after this, or what do you say?" Rukia turned around and gave him a teasing smile, which only could be interpreted in a way.

"I think you're right, Rukia", Ichigo replied, got dressed and went with Rukia into the house to the approaching shower ...


	7. The start of a new Life

**Warning:** This chapter contains _**blood,**____**death**____**and**____**child**____**birth,**_ cannot read about these things, do not read this chapter, please. You have been warned.

The street was deserted before him. He could not see a single man, and luckily was that. He had no idea what could possibly happen within a few minutes, it depended entirely on how Kurosaki Ichigo would react when he appeared before him in a few minutes.

He missed the old Ichigo; he only did what he was told to do. Everything was so much simpler if you just listened to what the Boss said. Then you did not have to get into trouble, which Ichigo _definitely__was,_ given his betrayal of the Organization. He had just fled like that without completing his mission! As if that were not bad enough, he had brought with him Rukia as well, he knew that. Would it have been the other way around, Ichigo would have been dead already. Then his body would have been dumped somewhere where Rukia knew they would find him. She was a cold-blooded assassin who did not move for anyone.

Not even for himself, he knew. He had seen how Rukia had been transformed since the days they had so abruptly separated ate. She was no longer the nice girl he had lived with, but now she had really become the assassin that she had never wanted to be. One by one, the members of the Organization had been lost and then found dead in various places around the country.

It had always been the same murderer and the murderer had been Kuchiki Rukia.

How Ichigo had ever managed to survive was more than he could understand, if you looked at Rukia's nature. He must have some really good hold on Rukia to manage to keep her at bay this long without losing his life.

One more thing that he either could not understand was why Ichigo had brought Rukia to a safe place where they had been unable to trace either himself or Rukia. Had he already killed Rukia? But then why continue to hide? Had he taken her hostage? Did he ask her out and have some fun with her before he got rid of her? No, it was not Ichigo's style. He did not hurt anyone if he absolutely did not need to.

None of those options that he came up with seemed to be right. If Ichigo had now killed Rukia, why had not he come back? Was he afraid of the punishment which he knew was waiting on his return to the Organization?

That disturbed him somewhat unbelievable. Why could not he find some good reason why Ichigo had stayed away for so long with Kuchiki Rukia, a woman whom he entrusted to eliminate and ensure that she could not heal out information that should not come out? Had it been his own assigned task, he had finished it right away.

Bad luck for him the Boss had not wanted to give him the mission because of his and Rukia's "intimacy" in the past. The Boss did not trust that he could do the job, but that he would be "bloody" and back out since the target was his former girlfriend.

Instead, he now stood here, waiting for the person who had once been his best friend, but that he must now be regarded as his worst enemy, since he had violated the Organization's largest and most important rule:

"_Never leave or store the Organization, as this will cost you your life."_

A motion in front of him caused him to interrupt his thoughts on Ichigo and instead turn his attention to the person who was now headed in his direction. He immediately saw who it was, it could not be mistaken.

Orange hair, brown eyes ... Without a doubt, Kurosaki Ichigo.

"You came", said Ichigo and smiled a smile as he saw radiated joy to finally meet his best friend again after a very long time.

He however did _not_ smile. He must look at Ichigo as the enemy and throw away the side that had once been Ichigo's best friend. "Yes, I did. Why would I not do it?" He replied with a cold voice.

"What's wrong?" Wondered Ichigo and was immediately on guard before he even had time to finish the sentence.

His smile disappeared, his muscles tightened and he put his hand on his pistol that he always had in a belt around the waist. It was a Beretta

"Kurosaki Ichigo, hereby, I have to let you know that you are hereby under arrest and will serve your sentence by our leader, Genryuusai Yamamoto. The order was carried out by Abarai Renji."

Four of the Organization's soldiers came out of the shadows and surrounded Ichigo. In their hands they carried rifles that could fold down Ichigo with a single shot. Ichigo knew that there was no point in fighting back, so he let go of his gun, which he had not had a chance to pull, and laid his hands on his head. He nodded toward Renji and started walking towards the black van that was parked some distance away from the street they were on.

"I abandon myself without resistance, Abarai Renji. If this is what the Organization has decided, I'll be happy to follow orders without a fuss."

Renji beckoned to the soldiers to take Ichigo with him to the car and tie him. You could never be too careful, especially with Kurosaki Ichigo, their best assassins after the Boss himself.

To her horror saw Rukia that Ichigo was captured by her ex-boyfriend. Now she knew with certainty why Renji had left her:

He had gone mad by the power offered to him from the Organization that now had its best man caught because he had followed his heart.

When she heard Ichigo say _"__I__abandon__myself__without__resistance,__Abarai__Renji._ _If__this__is__what__the__Organization__has__decided,__I__'__ll__be__happy__to__follow__orders__without__a__fuss.__"__,_ she knew what was coming. Ichigo had told her that if she heard him speak these words, she would flee to a safe location where the Organization could not reach her.

"If you hear me say those words, it means that they will kill me. I have violated the cardinal rule, Rukia, and the punishment for such treason is death. Do not try to save me, they will only take you as prisoner, and then torture you to death. Maybe they will get me to look at it, yes, it is quite likely if they have not already killed me, and that is something I do not want to see, Rukia. Please, for me and _especially_ for your own sake, flee the country and hide!"

Now that Rukia could hear Ichigo's words repeated themselves in her head she knew she could not leave Ichigo to his fate. She ... loved him. Yes, she did. She could not live without Kurosaki Ichigo when he showed her the light of life. He had led her hope for a brighter future, consisting of happiness, light and a family...

"I will absolve you, Ichigo ... I promise you ..." Rukia stood up and followed the van with her eyes.

She knew where the Organization was thanks to Ichigo who had told her where their headquarters where, just in case there should arise a situation that would mean that she needed to get hold of the address. Now it was such a time. She would do everything in her power to stop Ichigo's execution. Although she would die when she tried.

Better that I die now than run and hide like a cowardly rabbit. All my life I have been trained to kill people, so what is it that says I cannot _save_ a person instead? Rukia thought to herself.

Quickly she put on a silencer on her M9 and began running the same route as the van had gone. Luckily for her, it took only five minutes to reach the depot that was used as a cover for the Organization's secret base below the room.

In order to reach the very core Rukia must first open a narrow door that led into an empty room. The only thing that was there were some wooden boxes that seemed to be empty. Rukia quickly went up to one of the drawers and putted her hands against it. She pressed lightly on the box, and a clicking sound was heard while the box was moving forward. A button below the box could be seen and she pressed it.

Behind her came the sound of metal on the move. When Rukia putted back the box, she turned around and saw that a portion of the wall had moved and revealed a secret passage. Rukia quickly slipped through just as it closed behind her. Above her she could see a couple of stairs that led down to a big room. From below, she could hear voices conversing with each other. One of them was Renji's, but she did not recognize the other voice that spoke to Renji.

Probably "The Boss", which Ichigo calls him, thought Rukia and began to walk slowly down the stairs with the gun lift, ready to use it against any obstacles that could conceivably come in her way...

Ichigo found himself looking into the coldest eyes that were in the world. His boss, Genryuusai Yamamoto, was one of the coolest people he knew, and was it something Ichigo had learned during his years as an assassin, it was about cold people. There were none, and had probably never been any, mercy in Yamamoto's eyes. Ichigo knew he would be executed in front of Yamamoto and Renji's eyes. Probably it would be Yamamoto himself who would press the trigger, which would end his life.

Ichigo was not afraid to die. He had had a good life, despite the career he chose. He had just killed people who did heinous crimes and who needed to atone for them. He had a code of honor that he always and still followed:

"_Punish those who deserve to be punished, save the innocent if opportunity occurs."_

Rukia had been one of those innocent ones, Ichigo knew it. His heart had always been right, and he followed his heart, even if it many times almost led to his death. He did not know how many times he had to sew himself due to injuries caused by gunshots.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you're standing here in front of me today. Do you know why?" Yamamoto's voice boomed into the room they were in. His eyes were directed towards Ichigo that did not budge an inch. He was not afraid of Yamamoto.

"Yes, I do. I failed the mission to eliminate Kuchiki Rukia. I took her with me to a safe place where you could not find either me or her. By doing this, I have violated our absolute law: _"__Never__leave__or__store__the__Organization,__as__this__will__cost__you__your__life._""

"Are you afraid to die, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Said Yamamoto and would not look away from Ichigo for a second.

"No. I have lived a good life with friends", Ichigo turned to Renji when he said the word "friends" before he once again focused on Yamomoto. "And love. I love Kuchiki Rukia, and will so do after my death. She knows this and will settle somewhere where you cannot find her."

"Yamamoto, excuse me for interrupting you, sir, but should we not have a squad that is looking for Kuchiki?" Asked Renji and took a step towards his boss.

"I do not think it's necessary", said a voice behind Renji before he quietly sank to the ground.

Above Yamomoto where Renji just stood upright Kuchiki Rukia was standing with her M9 directed at him, ready to shoot if necessary.

"Rukia?" Ichigo stared at the woman behind his back. He had told her to go away, so why was she here?

"Ah, the famous Kuchiki Rukia has finally decided to show her face here with us in the Organization. What an honor." Yamomoto smiled an evil smile at Rukia without the slightest hint of fear.

"It will be an honor to take care of you personally, Kuchiki. When I'm done with you I'll take care of your lover. Nothing should be stopping me from becoming the most powerful Mafia boss in the world! You and Kurosaki know too much and must be eliminated."

"You have always been bad at lying, Yamamoto. That's only half the story, and you know it. Have you even told Ichigo why you want me dead? I thought so." Rukia smiled evilly. "This man took Renji from me and caused me to suffer in the most despicable way for several years before I decided I'd had enough. So, I started to track down members of the Organization and killed them in cold blood. Just the same way as Yamamoto got me to "kill" Renji. This man wants me dead so that he can avoid losing more men, plus he hates me. You want to see you dead Ichigo because he was afraid that I told you what I have planned all along. He thinks you and I have planned to kill him along, when in reality it's just me who has a reason for that."

Ichigo stared wide-eyed at the woman whom he believed himself to know. During all the time that he learned to know Rukia, she had kept this information to herself. Now Ichigo knew why the Organization, or rather Yamamoto, had wanted to eliminate Rukia. What Yamamoto had not counted on was that his best assassin and his target were to fall in love with each other.

"What a moving speech, Kuchiki. I get tears in my eyes", said Yamamoto and grinned derisively at the woman who stood before him.

"Let him go, Yamamoto, or I'll shoot", was Rukia's short answer. Her voice was as cold as her eyes staring into Yamamoto's.

Ichigo knew what would happen the moment Rukia's and Yamamoto's eyes met. He was therefore doing the only right thing:

The moment Yamamoto picked up his USP 45 which he had kept hidden inside his jacket, Ichigo jumped out in front of Rukia as a physical shield. A sharp pain was felt in his right shoulder when the bullet from Yamamoto's gun went straight through his flesh. Ichigo quickly turned his head and saw that Rukia had jumped away as soon as she saw the pistol glittering in Yamamoto's hands.

Without wasting any more time Ichigo grabbed a hold of Rukia's hand and shoved her finger as low on the trigger. A sharp blow came when the bullet went out of the gun and Ichigo felt how he and Rukia fell backwards by the force. While they fell Ichigo looked at his former boss and just as he thought the bullet struck Yamamoto's heart.

His former Boss was standing still with the gun raised in the air for a few seconds before he sank to the ground in a puddle of blood that gushed from the wound in his chest.

To be quite sure that it really was over, Ichigo picked up Rukia's gun that she had lost in the fall. With slow steps, and with his nerves on edge, he went up to the dead man and fired a bullet through his head.

Ichigo turned and looked at the shocked Rukia as low on the ground a few feet from him. "Are you okay?" He wondered, but grimaced slightly in pain from his shoulder that made itself felt its presence.

"Ichigo, lie down! You're bleeding!" Rukia ran up to Ichigo and sat down in front of him while she leaned him against the wall carefully not to aggravate the wound in his shoulder. "Lean against the wall and try to relax. I'll take a look at the wound."

Rukia knew that a wound could look worse than it was, but she took no chances. First, she tore the sleeve of Ichigo's t-shirt that was grimy from his own blood. Blood ran down in streams along with Ichigo's shoulder and down on his arm. Luckily for Ichigo the bullet had not done any major damage inside, but had just gone through the shoulder and left a small hole where the blood ran out of.

Rukia quickly took up a small green first aid kit from her bag, which she had over her shoulder and opened the box. Inside it low bandages, scissors, a needle and thread. "Ichigo, I will now sew the wounds, both behind your back and front of the shoulder. It will hurt, but as long as I can stop the worst of the bleeding, you'll be okay until we can locate the nearest hospital."

"I trust you, Rukia." Ichigo smiled a faint smile and gave Rukia a kiss that was filled with his love for her.

"I've done this many times, and I understand you had endured many of these moments. I've seen it on your body." Rukia entered the thread in the needle and began to sew together Ichigo's shoulder.

A moan of pain escaped Ichigo and he shuddered when the needles cold steel penetrated his flesh. It was tight for every time Rukia pulled in and shut a new skin tears and he had to make an effort to not scream in pain. It burned like fire in the wound, and Ichigo was afraid that he would faint.

After a while Ichigo could see in his eye corner how Rukia bit of what was left of the thread and inspected her work. She seemed pleased with what she saw, for she nodded approvingly. "Then it's just the back left ..."

The same process occurred with his back, but now the pain was more enduring and Ichigo was able to breathe more regularly. He relaxed and let his thoughts wander freely while Rukia took care of his injured shoulder. His mind could not stop thinking about Rukia's revelation when she looked into Yamamoto's eyes and told him why she was who she was. Never had he been believed that it was because of the Organization that she had become the assassin she was today.

Soon, Ichigo could feel something soft and cool was wrapping around his shoulder in a circular motion. When he looked down he could see that Rukia had wound on his shoulder with a white bandage to hold back the blood that might seep through the stitches.

"There, now I have done what I can. How does it feel?"

"Good. Thank you, darling", said Ichigo and hugged Rukia tightly.

"Why did you follow me?" Tears streamed down Ichigo's cheeks as he continued to hold on to Rukia. "You could have died!"

Rukia stroked away Ichigo's tears and smiled. "Baka, how could I do that when I love you as much as I do?"

"I love you too, Kuchiki Rukia." Ichigo smiled through the tears. "It's just one thing I do not understand. How could you withhold such an important detail that it was because of Renji's decision to join the Organization that made you choose the assassins way?"

"I wanted revenge on the person who gave the order to take me and Renji prisoner and get me to kill him. It was not until today I realized that Renji had been involved in planning everything. Had I known it from the beginning, I had never chosen the path I chose. I just wanted to avenge the death of my beloved, as simple as that."

Ichigo shook his head with a sad smile on his lips. "Love can make us do strange things."

"Yes, but I'm glad Renji did what he did. If he had not joined your Organization we had never met, right?" Rukia continued to smile at Ichigo and was going to bend forward to give him a kiss, when her face changed to a grimace of pain. She putted her hand on her stomach and a groan of pain escaped her mouth.

Ichigo was about to ask what was wrong, when to his horror he saw that the floor between Rukia's legs became wet. Ichigo thought he knew what was about to happen, but the problem was simply that he did not know _what__his__role__would__be_ in it all. Sure, he had long dreamed and longed to become a father, but there's one thing to dream about something and then see your dream turn into reality in front of you.

"Ichigo, you must ... help me ... I think ... I will give birth ..." It took Rukia an effort to get out the words between the waves of pain coursing through her stomach and down between her legs.

Ichigo took off his shirt and putted it under Rukia's head after he putted her right on the floor. Slowly he parted her legs and took off her pants and her panties. To his horror Ichigo could see that Rukia was already several inches open and how something tried to escape from her womb. "The baby is on its way, Rukia! Push for every time you feel a new ache!"

Rukia did as Ichigo told her to do, and cried out in pain as she felt the baby inside her was moving down every time she contrived. She was in a state of shock; she had not had the slightest clue that she was pregnant! Not the slightest sign that she had been able to tell her that a life was growing inside her for nearly nine months.

She really wanted to be a mother, it was true, but she had not thought it would be this way! She had always imagined that she would lie down in a hospital bed with a doctor and nurses who helped her get the child that was now so keen to see the light, out.

Now she was instead on a cold stone floor with a dead man who had been the Boss of a large Organization, another man who was unconscious and that been her boyfriend in a previous life, and an injured man who was the father of the child which she now would bring to the world.

"I can see the head now, Rukia! Continue pushing!" Ichigo placed his hands around the baby's head when enough of it had come out that it would not be damaged when it came out.

Rukia was all sweaty from all the pushing, and her muscles around her legs and her gender, was completely exhausted. She was in a state that she never thought herself in. She was so weak and abandoned where she lay with open legs giving birth to a child that was hers. She had always been accustomed to having control, and she did not like to be weak, as she now was.

"Ah ... God, I cannot stand it anymore!" Rukia screamed again in pain and pushed as hard as she could.

A child cry could be heard in the room after a few seconds of silence when Rukia had a chance to relax. Her breathing was heavy and she had trouble finding the correct breathing. A smile played, however, on her lips as she listened to her newborn baby's first cry. Everything had gone well; the child lived and was now breathing its first breath.

"It's a girl, Rukia ... She is so beautiful ..." Rukia could hear Ichigo say between one of her daughter's screams.

Tears of joy ran down Ichigo's cheeks when he raised his daughter in his arms. She was so small and helpless, but oh so beautiful ... He had never seen anything so wonderful as the young child he held in his hands. Becoming a father was the best thing that had ever happened him. To be involved giving birth to your own child was something that all fathers should be a part of.

"May I see her ...?" Rukia smiled more even though she was still sore in the lower part of her body after all the pain that had gone through it.

Soon there was a small bundle in her arms. It was her baby girl and Rukia could feel her heart swell with joy when she could take a look at her little girl.

Her skin was blue and she was covered in a mixture of blood and something sticky that had been inside the placenta where this little bundle had been clinging to the life without Rukia knew of it. Despite all this Rukia could not take her eyes off the baby in her arms. She was the most beautiful she had ever seen and Rukia knew she would love this little bundle as long as she lived.

Rukia gave her newborn daughter, a gentle kiss on the cheek and then hugged her while Ichigo took out the scissors as Rukia had put back in the first aid kit. A small incision could be heard when the umbilical cord was cut.

Ichigo sat down next to Rukia and his newborn daughter. A smile played on his lips when he saw how his daughter was looking for her mother's breast to get her first meal. It did not take long, but Rukia had her daughter start suck up the milk she needed to take in order to survive.

"What shall we call her?" Said Ichigo as he continued looking at his daughter.

"How about ... Yuki?" Rukia smiled up at Ichigo with twinkling eyes that shone with happiness at just having given birth to a healthy daughter. "She is a blessing and she is as innocent as the whitest snow."

"Sounds perfect."

Ichigo smiled and kissed Rukia while Yuki looked at them with a newborn baby's eyes...

7


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